Dry suit gasket conditioner?

[djlewis]

My dry suit is going to be mostly stowed for a few months (finally!), and I'm wondering what to treat the gaskets with, if anything.

First, it's going to be in total darkness, rolled up inside a closed duffel bag. I imagine there will no UV penetrating that environment, so I need not worry about that source of deterioration (the biggest issue, I believe).

I've seen 303 recommended here, but everything I read about it says it's just for UV protection, so does it make sense for this? Also, as I apply 303, it's very watery and does not seem to penetrate the rubber at all. So I wonder if it can do any conditioning.

I have an old squeeze bottle of something called AquaSeal Seal Saver (http://bit.ly/2lIIPv) which appears to be popular among divers. It's specifically meant to condition rubber gaskets. It contains silicone. It's greasy and appears to penetrate and soften the rubber a bit.

Any thought, ideas or experiences?

Thanks. --David.

[bob budd]

I'd apply 303 and wait a week or so before bagging the suit up. We leave ours hanging in a closet and the rubber is decidedly supple in the fall/winter when dry suit season reemerges. 303 definitely does more than UV protection, as it makes hatch covers more supple and easier to install/remove.

[jason]

My dry suit is going to be mostly stowed for a few months (finally!), and I'm wondering what to treat the gaskets with, if anything.

First, it's going to be in total darkness, rolled up inside a closed duffel bag. I imagine there will no UV penetrating that environment, so I need not worry about that source of deterioration (the biggest issue, I believe).

I've seen 303 recommended here, but everything I read about it says it's just for UV protection, so does it make sense for this? Also, as I apply 303, it's very watery and does not seem to penetrate the rubber at all. So I wonder if it can do any conditioning.

I have an old squeeze bottle of something called AquaSeal Seal Saver (http://bit.ly/2lIIPv) which appears to be popular among divers. It's specifically meant to condition rubber gaskets. It contains silicone. It's greasy and appears to penetrate and soften the rubber a bit.

Any thought, ideas or experiences?

Thanks. --David.

I would keep away from the AquaSeal.

http://www.nspn.org/forum/index.php?showto...Seal+Seal+Saver

As for the 303 feels like it does more. I would use the 303 let it dry then store it.

-Jason

[spuglisi]

I would keep away from the AquaSeal.

http://www.nspn.org/forum/index.php?showto...Seal+Seal+Saver

As for the 303 feels like it does more. I would use the 303 let it dry then store it.

-Jason

I use 303, often, on my 4 year old drysuit and the gaskets are still in good shape. It seems to help keep them very supple. I usually spray it on a cloth and then rub it on the gaskets...inside and out.

[djlewis]

I would keep away from the AquaSeal.

http://www.nspn.org/forum/index.php?showto...Seal+Seal+Saver

As for the 303 feels like it does more. I would use the 303 let it dry then store it.

-Jason

Hmmm... Seal Saver is still marketed quite heavily to divers, so it's hard to believe that it is harmful if used properly.

http://bit.ly/2lIIPv

I also have to say that I see no evidence that 303 conditions rubber beyond simply protecting it from UV. You may be using 303 on your gaskets and they may have survived nicely, but as my stat prof used to say, correlation is not causation. (The hatch cover effect I've seen is just making the edges slippery, which helps you engage the second seal on Valley hatch covers.)

Anyway, I applied the seal saver and wiped it off quite thoroughly after a minute. I'll stash the suit and we'll see how it does -- sort of a phase 1 trial to determine safety.

My strong suspicion, by the way, is that keeping the gaskets (and the whole suit) in total darkness and away from heat is the best thing that you can do for them. Everything else might be superstition based on doing just that. So after rinsing and drying my suit, I roll it up and stash it in a 2' duffel. When I go out next, I add long underwear, socks, fleece, polypro shirts, zipper lube, etc, and it becomes my paddling clothing package for the trip.

--David

[jason]

Hmmm... Seal Saver is still marketed quite heavily to divers, so it's hard to believe that it is harmful if used properly.

http://bit.ly/2lIIPv

I also have to say that I see no evidence that 303 conditions rubber beyond simply protecting it from UV. You may be using 303 on your gaskets and they may have survived nicely, but as my stat prof used to say, correlation is not causation. (The hatch cover effect I've seen is just making the edges slippery, which helps you engage the second seal on Valley hatch covers.)

Anyway, I applied the seal saver and wiped it off quite thoroughly after a minute. I'll stash the suit and we'll see how it does -- sort of a phase 1 trial to determine safety.

My strong suspicion, by the way, is that keeping the gaskets (and the whole suit) in total darkness and away from heat is the best thing that you can do for them. Everything else might be superstition based on doing just that. So after rinsing and drying my suit, I roll it up and stash it in a 2' duffel. When I go out next, I add long underwear, socks, fleece, polypro shirts, zipper lube, etc, and it becomes my paddling clothing package for the trip.

--David

I have seen an old non flexible & sticky gasket (not mine) get treated with 303 and look and feel like a new gasket again. I do understand that it protects from UV but I think that it does a lot more than that.

I don't think that your off with the storing the dry suits and the gaskets in a a cool dark place for the summer.

-Jason

[bob budd]

Your stat professor was obviously not a kayaker or otherwise a user of a drysuit. All you need to do is wipe 303 on a weathered seal or hatch cover and the rubber almost instantly becomes more supple. The effect lasts for quite some time. Its your drysuit, do as you see fit.

[Suz]

My dry suit is going to be mostly stowed for a few months (finally!), and I'm wondering what to treat the gaskets with, if anything.

First, it's going to be in total darkness, rolled up inside a closed duffel bag. I imagine there will no UV penetrating that environment, so I need not worry about that source of deterioration (the biggest issue, I believe).

I've seen 303 recommended here, but everything I read about it says it's just for UV protection, so does it make sense for this? Also, as I apply 303, it's very watery and does not seem to penetrate the rubber at all. So I wonder if it can do any conditioning.

I have an old squeeze bottle of something called AquaSeal Seal Saver (http://bit.ly/2lIIPv) which appears to be popular among divers. It's specifically meant to condition rubber gaskets. It contains silicone. It's greasy and appears to penetrate and soften the rubber a bit.

Any thought, ideas or experiences?

Thanks. --David.

Check out what the experts say: (http://www.kokatat.com/customer_service_care.asp )

GASKET CARE AND REPAIR

Latex gaskets need to be treated every 4–6 weeks to prevent drying and cracking. Kokatat recommends 303 Protectant, available in 2 oz. and 8 oz. sizes. Small tears or holes in the gasket may be repaired with Aquaseal. Replacement gaskets and kits are available from your dealer or directly from Kokatat.

I treat mine (all 30 suits) with 303 as often as I can which isn't as often as 4-6 weeks but would be if I had the time.

Suz